Method of making buckles



Ndv. 5, 1929. H. G. NORWOOD METHOD OF MAKING BUCKLES Filed June 30, 1928 FIG. 4

INVENTOR HARR Y 0. (VORWOOD A TTORNE Y Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY G. NORWOOD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. D. T.

LIBBY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Application filed June 30,

This invention relates to a buckle and has for one of its objects the construction of a buckle from a single piece of material. An other object of my invention is to provide a buckle construction wherein the latch is locked in operative position so that longitudinal pulls or strains on the fabric com prising the strap will not unlock the buckle or release the latch from its gripping position.

By my construction, wherein the latch is obtained from the body portion of the buckle, a great saving in material is made and the cost of the buckle is thereby materially reduced.

In the drawing which forms a part of this specification Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank which is to form the body of the buckle and from which the latch is taken.

Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, but with the blank for the latch punched out and other operations being indicated.

Figure 3 shows the finished body portion of the buckle, the same being formed by the final operations on the body of the buckle as shown in Figure 2. I t

Figure 4 is a View of the latch as punched from Figure 1 and with certain of the forming operations already performed thereon.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the latch shown in Figure 4-, looking from the front to the rear.

Figure 6 is a side view of the buckle with the latch assembled thereon, a portion of one side of the buckle being removed and the latch raised partially from its normal gripping position.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but with the latch in gripping position.

Referring now to the details wherein like numbers refer to the corresponding parts in the various views;

1 is the blank from which both the body and latch portions of the buckle are made. The latch portion is bounded by the lines 2, 3, and the irregular line 4. The edge 4 is formed into a plurality of prongs 5, four being indicated. In order to lighten the latch, an opening 6 is punched completely AND ONE-HALF TO CLARENCE S. MAYER,

METHOD OF MAKING BUCKLE S 1928. Serial No. 289,404.

out of the latch portion, likewise an opening 7 in the body of the buckle is punched therein, and the small portion of metal bounded by the dotted line 8 and the line 9, is turned upward to form bridge 10 (see Figs. 2 and 6) After the latch is punched out, the remainder of the metal around the prongs 5 is removed, so that the opening in'the body is substantially the same as that shown in F igure 2. During these operations, two indentations 11 are punched in the side walls of the body, likewise two holes 12 for subsequently receiving the pivot ends of the latch. The body of the buckle is then bent on the lines 13 and 14, so that the sides 15 and 16 are substantially at right angles to the crossbar member 17, all as shown in Figure 3.

'After the latch has been blanked out according to the form or any suitable modification thereof, as shown in Figure 1, its sides are bent up along the dotted lines 18 and 19 so that these sides 20 and 21 are positioned at right angles to the crossbar 22. Fingers 23 and 24- are formed by the portions 25 and 26 of the latch blank, and these figures 23 and 24 are adapted to engage the holes 12 so that the latch ispivoted between the side members 15 and 16 and the sides of the latch, 20 and 21, and lie closely adjacent to the respective sides 15 and 16 when the latch is assembled in position.

' As will be seen from Figure 6, or one end of a strap is adapted to be attached to the crossbar 17 of the body of the buckle, while another strap or the end of a strap is adapted to pass over the crossbar 25 and over the bridge 10, it being assumed that the latch is turned to a vertical position so thatthe prongs 5 are substantially par allel with the plane of the crossbar 25 and the crossbar 26. After the strap has been drawn into position over the bridge 10, the latch is pushed downward, forcing the prongs 5 into the strap and gripping the strap beone strap tween the bridge 10 and the prongs 5, there- 9 there is sufficient spring in the side walls 15 and 16 of the body of the latch to allow this to take place.

In some cases, I may put notches in the 5 bridge to allow the prongs 5 of the latch to force the material of the strap into these notches, and when this construction is used,

it may be preferable to form the prongs 5 so that they form an obtuse angle with the 10 main portion of the latch, rather than substantially at right angles as shown in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive.

T he drawings arenot to be taken literally as working drawings, but more as illustrative of my invention. As a matter of fact, they have been made twice the size of a finished device of a certain size buckle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The process of making a buckle which consists in taking a piece of sheet metal comprising the body part of the buckle, punching a latch blank therefrom, forming both the body and latch to the desired shape, and then mounting the latch on the body.

2. The process of making a buckle which consists in taking a. piece of sheet metal, punching body and latch blanks therefrom, the latch blank including gripping parts be- 39 ing punched from within the confines of the body forming up-sides on the body, and a bridge between the sides, forming up-sides and pivots on the latch and turning the grip ping means to a desired position and then mounting the latch on the body sides so said gripping means thereon will be in position to co-act with said bridge.

3. The process of making from sheet metal, a two-piece buckle comprising body and latch 43 portions, which consists in stamping the latch blank from the body so as to provide co-acting mounting, gripping, and locking means on both parts, forming the body and latch so said means are in position to function when 45 assembled, and then utilizing the mounting means in assembling the latch on the body,

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

HARRY G. NORWOOD. 

